21st Literature Lesson 1

Study Notes

Derived from Latin word littera, meaning letters.
Represents a body of written works in a particular language, country, or age.
A significant human experience expressed in carefully chosen and arranged words.

Prose: Ordinary written or spoken language without metrical structure.
Biography: Life story written by someone who knows the person well.
Autobiography: Account of one's life written by oneself.
Essay: Short literary composition that is expository in nature.
Novel: Long fictitious narrative made up of chapters with a complex plot.
Short Story: Compressed fictitious narrative focusing on a single time, place, and action.
Drama/Play: Consists of dialogues in prose, intended for stage performance.

Tragedy: Explores downfall, emotional betrayal, moral setbacks, and loss; emphasizes action over narrative.
Comedy: Aims to induce humor or amusement; includes laughter.
Melodrama: Distinguishes clearly between good and evil characters.

Formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience through language selected for effect.
Derived from Greek word poesis, meaning "making or creating."
Intensifies language compared to ordinary usage.

Narrative Poetry: Tells stories through verse, featuring plot, characters, and setting.
Lyric Poetry: Short poem with song-like qualities, expressing personal emotions and feelings.
Dramatic Poetry: A narrative in verse meant to portray a story or situation.

Characters: Individuals, animals, or entities involved in the story.
- Major Characters: Well-developed with significant conflicts and backstories.
- Minor Characters: Less developed, serving supporting roles.
- Round Characters: Complex, mysterious, and unpredictable.
- Flat Characters: Stereotypical, lacking depth.
Types of Characters:
- Protagonist: Main hero or heroine.
- Antagonist: Opposes the protagonist.
- Deuteragonist: Second most important character.
Setting: Refers to the time and place of the story.
Conflict: A struggle or problem faced by characters.
- Internal Conflict: Occurs within a character's mind.
- External Conflict: Takes place between the character and outside forces.

Exposition: Introduces time, place, setting, and main characters.
Inciting Incident: Triggers the chain of events.
Rising Action: Develops problems faced by the main characters.
Climax: The peak of the story with highest tension.
Falling Action: Shifts in story following the climax, involving changes in the protagonist.
Resolution: Settles the conflict and concludes the main plot.
Denouement: French term meaning "to untie," providing closure to the narrative.